Once upon a time, deep in the Underground where the Fae folk dwell, there was a Labyrinth that was the kingdom of the Goblins.

It had stood lonely and forgotten for many years, for the Labyrinth had a fearsome reputation. It was rumoured that nightmares and insanity lurked in its shadowed depths, and that the goblin people were agents of chaos who could not be trusted. And so the Castle at its heart fell into disrepair, and the Labyrinth itself mourned the lack of a ruler to love and care for it.

Then, one never-to-be-forgotten day, a King came to the Castle, and the Labyrinth felt alive once more. He was an outcast, an exile, a sullen murderer; but the Labyrinth sees into the hearts of whomever it chooses, and it deemed him worthy of that most singular title: King of the Goblins.

He reigned for peace in centuries, carrying out duties long abandoned, hearkening to the wishes of the mortals and protecting their innocent babes from their cruelty. He grew, gradually, to love with a fierce and unwavering love the Labyrinth that had welcomed him, had soothed him and listened to him, and he formed it with his will into a mighty fortress against his enemies, though for him it was a wondrous home.

However, this state of things could not last forever. The King was just, but he was stern and cold; he brought peace, but not love to the kingdom. The scar in his heart had not healed and there was a bitterness, a lack, in his magic. The King was lonely; and he ached, though he did not know why.

The Labyrinth was wiser. It knew that what the King needed above all was a Queen. It began to search for an equal for its ruler, someone who would reign in wisdom and love. Long it searched, both Above and Below, among the mortals and the Fae, but it could not find anyone. The King grew still lonelier, and the goblins were restless.

And then a young girl wished away her brother, and things were changed forever.

Never before had the King been faced with such a challenger. Never before had he and his rule been tested with such stubborn courage and firm belief. Never had anyone with such greatness of heart been seen in the goblin kingdom; and they all fell helplessly in love with her, Labyrinth, goblins, King, and all.

It was only after she had gone, leaving the Kingdom in ruins, that the King realised his mistake. She had been but a child, innocent and naïve, and she had not understood his offer. Bitter, heartbroken, humbled, he set himself to the task of repairing his kingdom. Yet her memory would not leave him, and with time he came to understand that perhaps things were better this way; he would give her time to mature, to come into her own, and then he would return to claim his willing prize. The Labyrinth was overjoyed when he reached this decision. Together, they waited for the day, some years later, when the mortal girl would be ready to take the crown. The goblins could have told him things would not have quite lived up to his expectations… but he was not in the habit of asking their advice.

The story of the courtship of Sarah Williams by Jareth, King of the Goblins — which was rather less straightforward than planned — can be found in the story titled Goblin Spies and Unexpected Visitors. It was a whole tumultuous year before Jareth could bring Sarah to the Underground as his bride; but when he did, there was rejoicing throughout the Labyrinthine kingdom.

They ruled together, King and Queen of the Goblins; one just and stern, the other loving and tender. The balance was kept, and the kingdom prospered in peace and happiness.

So begin the Goblin Chronicles, tales of the Labyrinth and its inhabitants. May the stars shine on you who read them.

— Mugwart, Scribe of the Labyrinth

A/N: Hello and welcome to The Goblin Chronicles!

Many of you will be coming to this as a sequel, but for new readers I highly recommend checking out GSUV as mentioned above, to get an idea of the characters and storyline.

This is not going to be a cohesive plot. My plan for this story is to write a collection of one-shots in the GSUV 'verse (that occasionally may extend to longer/multiple chapters) based on prompts from you, me, whatever inspires me, etc. They will not be in order and as a result may skip back and forth in time. I also hope to experiment with different styles and character voices, so some may be told from varying viewpoints. As a result of all this, there will be no regular updates scheduled. But if you want another chapter, all you have to do is provide an interesting prompt!

Please note that I may not use all prompts, and I apologise if this is the case. This may be because I have too many, or simply because I can't think of a chapter to go with one. But every single one will be greatly appreciated, and I look forward to your ideas! These could include: a single word; a sentence; a poem; a song; a picture; a scene; an event. Go wild!

As always, reviews are very much appreciated and I will do my best to reply to them if possible.

What's that thing I always say? Oh yes - love and glitter!